Appledash Season
by The Zelda Big Macintosh
Summary: Applejack's friends have agreed to help her with this year's applebuck season. After the first day, Rainbow Dash stays behind to chat, and the two mares are finally able to express their feelings for one another.


**TZBM: Time for the next of my My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic shipping one-shots. Let's jump in. Disclaimer, please.**

**Apple Bloom: TheZeldaBigMacintosh doesn't own anythin'! If he did, ah'd have mah cutie mark!**

**TZBM: Thanks, AB. Story time!**

**Appledash Season**

Rainbow Dash zoomed through the skies of Ponyville like polychromatic lightning, headed towards Sweet Apple Acres to help with the harvest, or "bucking season" as the Apple family called it.

The cyan speedster descended upon the vast orchard of trees, landing next to a set of baskets filled to the brim with apples.

"Howdy there, sugarcube. Glad y'all could make it." greeted Applejack.

Rainbow felt her knees go weak as they always did when she heard her friend's smooth southern accent. Steadying herself, Rainbow greeted back with a nod and a smirk.

"Alright! Dashie is here! Now we can get started!" was Pinkie Pie's characteristically enthusiastic response.

"Pinkie, dear, could you please refrain from yelling so loudly? I'm sure our eardrums aren't as attuned to loud noises in the early morning." Rarity asked politely.

"Okey-doki-loki!" Pinkie gave her traditional statement of agreement.

"I've crunched the numbers. We each have about thirteen hundred trees to hit in a week. That's...let's see...about 588 trees a day each." Twilight Sparkle reported.

"That sounds like a lot. I hope we can get done in time." Fluttershy said timidly.

"Now don't you worry your pretty little mane, darling. We can and will do it within the time we have." Rarity consoled Fluttershy.

Fluttershy nodded, turning away to hide the blush that had come about due to Rarity's calling her "pretty".

"Well then, we all ready? Let's get to buckin'!" Applejack exclaimed.

The six mares each ran off in a different direction to a marked off area of trees and began knocking the apples down into the baskets.

The sun was setting by the time they finished, all of them ready to drop from exhaustion.

"Oh...my...Celestia!" Rarity said between gasps, "Why did I ever agree to do this?"

"The same reason you keep going to the spa with Fluttershy every Sunday." Applejack muttered with a smug grin.

"I thought we agreed never to speak of that again." Rarity whispered harshly, glaring daggers at the orange earth pony.

Applejack giggled to herself as she walked away.

"It's weird to see you so tired, Pinkie. You're usually full of energy." Twilight laughed.

"Well, I guess bucking apples takes more out of you than you'd guess, huh?" Pinkie responded, laughing as well.

"Well, I, um, guess I'll see you all tomorrow then. Bye." Fluttershy mumbled before flying off faster than anypony thought possible.

"What's got her feathers in a flurry?" Rainbow asked.

"Ah dunno, sugarcube. Somethin' seemed off, y'all know what I'm sayin'? She didn't seem like the Fluttershy we know." Applejack replied.

"I'll go see what's wrong with her. Se you girls tomorrow." Rarity semi-shouted, before heading off after Fluttershy.

"Pinkie and I better get going, too. Goodnight." Twilight said, walking off hoof in hoof with Pinkie.

"Ah think it's just so sweet that those two are together now." Applejack sighed.

"Yeah, they really seem great together." Rainbow Dash agreed.

"What about you, Rainbow? You got somepony in yer life?" Applejack asked her pegasus friend.

"Well, actually, I do have my eye on somepony." Rainbow answered, silently hoping that this topic wasn't pursued any further. Those hopes were in vain, however, as Applejack kept the questions coming.

"Really, now? Who is he?" Applejack asked again.

_'Strange. I thought I heard a hint of-was that sadness in AJ's voice? No, it couldn't have been. AJ's my friend, right? She would be happy that I'm in love with somepony. But, if she knew it's her I'm interested in, maybe she wouldn't be so happy.' _Rainbow thought, before remembering AJ had asked her a question and was waiting for an answer.

"Um, well, it's...not a 'he'." Rainbow mumbled the last part.

"It's what now?" Applejack questioned.

"It's not...a 'he'." Rainbow mumbled again?

"Not what?" Applejack was getting impatient.

"It's not a 'he'!" Rainbow shouted, before covering her mouth with her hooves.

_'That ain't what ah expected. But, it's a good thing, right? I have a chance now, after all.' _Applejack thought before turning back to Rainbow.

"Sugarcube, ah had no idea you went that way." Applejack told her friend.

"I-I'm sorry. You probably think I'm a freak, don't you?" Rainbow stuttered, blushing.

"Of course not! Y'all are mah best friend!" Applejack suddenly exclaimed, embracing Rainbow.

"Applejack?" Rainbow yelped at the sudden actions of her crush.

"Sugarcube, don't ever think of yerself that way. I could never think that about you. Y'all are the most amazing pony ah have ever met." Applejack murmured.

Rainbow's face was so hot she thought it was melt right off. She hesitantly hugged Applejack back.

The to mares broke off the embrace, looking away from each other to regain their composure.

"T-thanks, AJ." Rainbow muttered.

"Yer...welcome, Rainbow. So who is she?" Applejack asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Rainbow replied confusedly.

"Who's the mare y'all are in love with?" Applejack clarified.

_'Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my GOSH! I can't tell AJ I love her! Not out of the blue! What to do, what to do?' _Rainbow thought, before coming up with a solution,_ 'That's it! A test! I'll give hints, see if she catches on!'_

"I could tell you, but I wanna spice things up a bit. I'll give you hints, and you try to guess." Rainbow stated.

"Alright, then! Go for it." AJ nodded.

"Ok. First off, I've known her a long time." Rainbow started.

"Fluttershy?" AJ guessed.

"In the words of your brother, nope!" Rainbow imitated Applejack's brother, Big Macintosh.

"Hmm...Cloud Kicker?" Applejack guessed again?

"Wrong again!" Rainbow informed.

"Derpy?" Applejack was running out of names.

"Still no." Rainbow was having fun. She almost forgot that if Applejack guessed right, things might get awkward.

"Can ah have the next hint?" Applejack asked.

"Ok. She's an earth pony." Rainbow continued, hoping Applejack would take the hint.

"Hmm. Ah just can't seem to think of anypony else." Applejack admitted.

"Ok, here's the final hint. She's very, very strong." Rainbow finished.

Applejack wracked her brain, trying desperately to think of who Rainbow could be talking about, but ultimately was stumped.

"Nope. Ah got nothin'." Applejack replied.

_'Oh, COME ON!' _Rainbow thought.

"Well, c'mon then. Who is it?" Applejack asked again.

"You're so clueless sometimes, AJ." Rainbow mutted, moving closer to her friend.

"W-what do y'all mean?" Applejack was a bit nervous.

"This." Rainbow whispered, before locking her lips with Applejack's.

Applejack's mind was whirling, her eyes threatening to pop right out of their sockets they were open so wide. Rainbow loved her. The mare she yearned for more than anypony else was head over hooves in love with her. Applejack slowly closed her eyes, wrapping her forelegs around Rainbow's neck. The kiss continued for a few moments, but ultimately the need for oxygen outweighed the want to stay in the loving embrace, and so the mares reluctantly parted.

"That...that was...amazing." Applejack said, gasping for air between her words.

"Yeah...it felt...so good...so right." Rainbow panted.

The two of them recovered there breath before continuing.

"Ah love you so much, Rainbow." Applejack smiled, gazing into Rainbow's cerise eyes, seeing her own green ones reflected.

"I love you, too, AJ. I have ever since the Running of the Leaves. I realized that all the time we'd spent together filled me with a warmth I'd never felt before. I needed you beside me. I just had to have that warmth. Without it, I was lonely and afraid, but when it surrounded me, blanketed me, I felt alive, brimming full of energy. I knew I couldn't live without that." Rainbow answered.

Applejack was touched. She knew Rainbow wasn't one to get emotional, but that heart-pouring had struck chords in her heart, setting it afire. Applejack couldn't find words, so she simply kissed Rainbow again.

After breaking off their second kiss, the two mares hugged tightly.

"Rainbow?" Applejack asked.

"Yeah, AJ?" Rainbow replied.

"Don't ever let me go." Applejack sighed, leaning into her lover's embrace.

"You either. It's getting late. You think I could crash here for the night?" Rainbow answered.

"Ah don't see why not. You know something? Ah think this is the best applebuck season ah have ever had. " Applejack ended.

Rainbow giggled as the two lovers trotted off to the farm house.

**TZBM: And...done.**

**Apple Bloom: That was great! Do Scoots and I get one yet?**

**TZBM: Calm own, AB! You'll get one in time. But in case you didn't notice the obvious hints I gave, up next is the Rarishy story.**

**Apple Bloom: But, ah want it now!**

**TZBM: Apple Bloom, if you keep pestering me, you'll have your cutie mark sooner than your one-shot with Scoots.**

**Apple Bloom: Aww, ok. ...meanie.**

**TZBM: If I have to be mean, I'll be mean. That's the way it goes. Anyway, thanks for reading, everypony. I guess I'll have to go update the PinkieSparkle story, huh? See you next time.**


End file.
